Derian collected these handwritten letters for 0 from various print dealers in New York and Boston.

Ryan Benyi

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A eureka moment hit John Derian 16 years ago. Hopelessly smitten with vintage atlases, cards, and almanacs, Derian was enlarging parts of a handwritten letter from the 1800s for a collage experiment when his career as an artist came to life. First he decoupaged plates with the image. Then when he found a studio with a storefront in Manhattan's East Village, he decided to open up a shop.

Pictured above: Derian collected these handwritten letters for $600 from various print dealers in New York and Boston.

Here, Derian sells plates, paperweights, and other home accessories decorated with rare printed ephemera he finds at flea markets and antiques shops. One recent mission turned up a remarkable English book of 18th-century cake images. "I never know what I'm looking for until I see it," he says. "I'm much like a chef who goes to the market each day to determine what's on the menu."

To create his own art, Derian has acquired such collectibles as an 1837 farmer's almanac and a stencil box which he bought for 0 from Janet West at Antiques Garage in New York City.

Ryan Benyi

Pictured above: To create his own art, Derian has acquired collectibles such as an 1837 farmer's almanac and a stencil box, which he bought for $350 from Janet West at Antiques Garage in New York City.